Make A Plastic Project Box

A plastic project box is nice to have to make your project look better. This has always been one of my weaknesses. I can make a really advanced circuit, but when it comes to package it, I have some kind of disability.

Luckily there are some tools out there for people like me.

Here are three methods of making a plastic project box for you circuit:

3D Printing

Laser Cutting

Modify Standard Boxes

3D Printing

3D Printing has become more and more popular lately. And cheaper. They can still be a bit pricey, but you can usually find one in a hackerspace.

If you have access to a 3D printer (like the Thing), there are lots of possibilities out there for you.

You can design a box yourself. If you have a small designer in your stomach, then you should check out Sketchup. It’s a free program for drawing 3D models.

Or you can download someone else’s design and print it. Or modify it if necessary. Thingiverse is a website for sharing 3D models for printing.

Laser Cutting

With laser cutting you can also make your own plastic project box. There are several laser cutting services that offer to cut your design for a reasonable price. For example, check out Seeed Studio or Ponoko.

If again, you have no clue how to design your box for laser cutting (like me), then check out this tool: Makercase

With the Makercase tool you can easily enter the dimension of your box and you’ll receive finished design files that you can get laser cut by a laser cutter service.

Modify Standard Boxes

The last option is to buy a standard box that “almost” fits you project. Then do the necessary modifications to it. Maybe drill a few holes. Maybe add some support for your circuit board inside the box.

This is maybe the most boring option, but I tend to use it because it really easy. Though the result isn’t always something that would receive the design-of-the-year award.